(Minghui.org) I’m a young practitioner in Canada, and cultivation has always been part of my life. I doubted my conviction when I compared myself to practitioners who chose to practice Falun Dafa when they were adults. I’m diligent when I’m in a good state, but I become lax when I’m distracted by society. For example, pursuing a “good” education, a “good” career, or a “fun” lifestyle. But the reason I choose to continue practicing is because time and time again, only Dafa has truly brought me peace.
In this chaotic world, I believe it’s harder for young practitioners to be diligent because social media constantly lures them. Even when I want to be diligent, I find it often becomes a battle of my will. I’ve recently felt sad and disappointed in myself, and negative thoughts kept surfacing—they are critical, pessimistic, and childish. Although I know clearly why I’m like this - lack of Fa study, doing the exercises, and doing things to save people - I just can’t seem to be diligent. I didn’t know how to stop the thoughts. That’s when I remembered a sharing I wrote to a practitioner friend two years ago, and this sharing seemed to solve the problem I have now.
Two years ago, I received a text from my friend who complained about feeling lazy and not wanting to do anything despite having many things to do. At that time, I was in a more diligent cultivation state—I studied the Fa regularly, and I also participated in efforts to save people. Below is the sharing I sent to my friend; hopefully, it can help practitioners who are in a similar situation, just like it helped me.
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Hi, I usually tell you my thoughts right away. But somehow, your text message stuck with me, and a deeper part of myself wanted to truly take a look at this topic and give a proper answer.
Master taught us,
“The entire cultivation process for a cultivator is one of constantly giving up human attachments.” (Lecture One, Zhuan Falun)
My understanding is that when you find it difficult to do something, perhaps it’s not so simple as just feeling that you don’t want to do it. Wanting to do something vs. not wanting to do something is qing. Then why do you feel that you want to do something vs. not wanting to do something? Perhaps there’s a hidden attachment at play if it’s reoccurring. For example, if one finds themselves always stuck in a loop of coming home and not doing anything then it could be that they are attached to comfort, impatience, or they are attached to a certain outcome.
Master also says,
“If you pay careful attention to your thoughts, you will find that they will change in an instant. Within a split second, many thoughts can pop up, and you won’t be able to tell where they came from. Some thoughts are rather bizarre, in which case they are notions from your many past lives. They will come forth when you meet with trouble.” (Teachings at the First Conference in North America)
After reading this, my understanding is that our thoughts may not even be ours. When we think we don’t feel like doing something, it has no logic behind it—it’s just emotion. Yet we follow it and agree with it and accept it as our own thought.
In the same article, Master also said,
“Let’s first talk about the importance of studying the Fa. In other words, studying the Fa can lead you to improve, and that’s because there is deep meaning behind the Fa. Why can no other book achieve this realm, this state? It’s because they have nothing in them, though it’s not to say that none ever had anything in them, since each person’s circumstances are different. I often tell you not to keep books from bad religions.”
“A human body is just like a garment and a person’s mind is just like a hat. Whoever wears them, that’s who takes charge. How so? Human beings are so weak that anything can control them and interfere with them. Aren’t human beings worthy of pity? But although it is pitiful, mankind dropped to this level on account of its own doing. Indeed, for each one of us and those of you sitting here who study the Fa, it hasn’t been easy. You have all kinds of interference and difficulties. Whenever you want to study the Fa, things get busy at work, you are short of time, and so on. These seem like natural occurrences to you, but in fact, there are all kinds of factors interfering with you and preventing you from obtaining the Fa.” (Teachings at the First Conference in North America)
After reading these paragraphs, my understanding is that the Information we take in is very important, after all, we don’t want social media becoming the “hat” and taking charge of the “garment.” That would result in a chaotic mess - just like what social media is. I’m using this example because I spend an unhealthy amount of time on social media, but you can substitute in your own attachments. Another thing I understand is when we don’t feel like doing something, it means something else has taken charge, but as Dafa practitioners, we want Dafa to be in charge. To do that, we need to study the Fa. Perhaps in that moment of laziness, we can recognize the situation, pick up Zhuan Falun and read it. In that moment when Dafa is in control in our head, our thoughts will be righteous and thus will naturally be reasonable.
Master said,
“It is because everything that is yours is at your command. Your arms, legs, fingers, and mouth can move whatever way you want them to move. Why is that? It’s because they are yours. When you want to enter into concentration, the thoughts don’t quiet down. And the more you want them to be quiet, the more rowdy they get. Are those thoughts you, then? Would you recognize them as you? They are karma and notions that you have acquired throughout your life. That is why you should regard them as a third party: “You keep on thinking, and I will watch you do that.” This time, you leap out from them. If you can truly discern them [as not you], it equates to your having made a clean break from them and having found yourself. Doing this is itself cultivation, and it can remove them quickly. If you can truly discern them, they will be scared since it’s time for them to be eliminated.” (Teachings at the First Conference in North America)
My understanding is that we should “find ourselves,” not accept every thought as ours and bury our true selves. Maybe in times of desperation, if we can’t escape the random thoughts in our heads, we can try to use the method Master described. We can tell these thoughts: “You keep on thinking, and I will watch you do that.”
Some Afterthoughts
It really is that easy. When you are stuck in your cultivation or don’t know how to cultivate yourself, study the Fa. It seems so simple, and I was told this when I was a child, yet only when I’m in crisis do I understand how important this is.
I have a long way to go in my cultivation, and my level is limited. The above sharing is just my understanding at my level. If I wrote anything that’s not in line with the Fa, please kindly correct me. Thank you.
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Category: Cultivation Insights
